Guardiola Reluctant To Comment On Manchester City Transfer Speculation

JAKARTA - Manchester City has been linked with a number of names in the winter transfer market.

However, they are still careful because it is difficult to get an agreement in January 2025.

However, there is a concrete interest in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, and 18-year-old center-back Palmeiras, Vitor Reis.

The two defenders are of course very much needed by Pep Guardiola along with the injuries suffered by Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, and John Stones.

However, Guardiola was reluctant to answer a single question about the speculation.

"Don't ask me about that. Throughout the month you will ask the same thing about everything you link in the media. So, I won't talk."

"I'm not going to talk because I don't know. Of course I've spoken to the club, but with the process, I don't know what will happen because it's very difficult."

"Isn't it clear with my answer? Come on. I'm clear in my answer that I won't be talking".

"It's a player from another club. You can say every press conference about the transfer window until the end. I won't answer a single question," Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Manchester City is exploring a deal to sign striker Omar Marmoush, but admits it will be difficult to withdraw from Eintracht Frankfurt this month.

Marmoush has caught the attention of a number of top clubs after scoring 13 goals in 15 Bundesliga games this season.

The Citizens are interested in recruiting the Egyptian who is estimated to be worth around 50 million pounds.

However, Frankfurt are in third place in the Bundesliga standings, behind Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, and fifth in the Europa League.

Manchester City executives are not sure the German club will consider losing one of their best players in the middle of the season.

The presence of Marmoush is of course needed by Guardiola who is still looking for a replacement for Julian Alvarez who went to Atletico Madrid last summer.

Manchester City lost predators like Alvarez who scored 19 goals last season. The Argentine was also able to share the burden with Erling Haaland.

Shifting to midfield, The Citizens also included the name of Atalanta midfielder Ederson. However, they also faced the same situation because the Serie A club was reluctant to negotiate in January 2025.

The reason is, apart from Atalanta fighting in the Scudetto route, they are also struggling in the Champions League.

Guardiola wants Ederson to maintain depth in the second line of Rodri's injury.

Because there is a big chance that a big deal is difficult to come by, Manchester City also has alternatives, namely Newcastle United midfielders, Bruno Guimaraes, and Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.

In addition, there are also two defenders Khusanov and Reis who are actually the priority targets of The Citizens. The player crisis is the main reason.

Manchester City is negotiating with Lens for monitoring Abdokodir Khusanov. Bringing in the 20-year-old player from Uzbekistan is expected to cost 20 million.

Khusanov has attracted the attention of a number of top clubs after moving to Lens from the Belarusian league in 2023.

Meanwhile, Vitor Reis is estimated to have a price tag of 40 million euros. However, it is not clear at this stage whether the 18-year-old will immediately join the first team if an agreement is reached with Palmeiras or will be included in the senior squad in the future.

Vitor Reis can be a long-term prospect for Manchester City given his minimal senior experience.

For the time being, while Manchester City were negotiating, they included a 19-year-old academy product, Jahmi Simpson-Pusey.

The defender has been called up to the first team and has packed five appearances this season, including twice in the Premier League.